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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28457523">A Knut For Your Thoughts (A Sickle If They’re Dirty)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caput_draconis/pseuds/Caput_draconis'>Caput_draconis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alive and Kicking (Marauders AU Where Everybody lives and has dumb humour) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Everybody Lives, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts, Humor, James Potter Being an Idiot, Lily Evans Potter is a Good Friend, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), New Year's Eve, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Sirius Is A Tease</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:00:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28457523</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caput_draconis/pseuds/Caput_draconis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Dear Mr and Mrs Potter, </i>
  <br/>
  <i>We are delighted to invite you to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Ending of the Wizarding War! Professor Albus Dumbledore is inviting you to the Great Hall of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on New Years Eve, the 31th of December 1982, to enjoy an evening of pride and idleness. Dresscode is Dress Robes or Evening Wear.</i>
</p><div>
  <p> </p>
  <p>There is a fancy gala dinner to celebrate the one year anniversary of the ending of the Wizarding War, and it not only has nice drinks and boring speeches, it also has Remus Lupin, Sirius' Ex, who left him four years ago to go undercover as a werewolf during the war. Will they be cool-headed and handle the reunion like adults?<br/>(Spoiler: no)</p>
</div>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Gideon Prewett, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Alive and Kicking (Marauders AU Where Everybody lives and has dumb humour) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2293376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Invitation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story is all over the place and the result of me watching <i> Emma (2020)</i> four times in a row over Christmas. Enjoy!<br/>Also, I have to admit that I am not a native speaker and this fic has not been beta-read.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>James, Lily and Sirius arrive at Hogwarts for a fancy gala dinner. Sirius wears a lot of tartan.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center"><p>Dear Mrs and Mr Potter,<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
We are delighted to invite you to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Ending of the Wizarding War! For this special occasion the British Party of the International Confederation of Wizards has sponsored a festive event including a gala dinner and substequent party. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
The host will be no other than Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Professor Albus Dumbledore, who played a crucial role in the defeat of the Dark Lord last year.<br/>
</p></div><div><p>
Professor Dumbledore is thus inviting you to the Great Hall of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on New Years Eve, the 31th of December 1982, to enjoy an evening of pride and idleness.<br/>
</p></div><div><p>
Joining us as guests of honour will be the most honourable Minister for Magic, Sir Harold Minchum (O.M. First Class), as well as Mr Bartemious Crouch (Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement) and Madam Amelia Bones (Head of the Task Force for Wizarding War Crimes).<br/>
</p></div><div><p>
The Dresscode is Dress Robes or Evening Wear.<br/>
</p></div><div><p>
The Ministry for Magic is wishing you best Regards and Happy Holidays,<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
<i>Pius Thicknesse </i><br/>
(Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic)<br/>
</p></div></div></div></div>
<p></p><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
„Let’s just say we couldn’t find a babysitter and stay home.”, James yawned, waving his wand lazily so the plush snitch he was levitating over the head of his two-year old son rose a bit higher. Harry gave an animated squeak – “Snitchy!” ¬— and hopped to get hold of the flying toy. James grinned even wider when Chewie, their fluffy black cat, joined Harry on his hunt.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“James, we agreed to go.”, Lily answered while walking past them, sporting a plushy bath robe and carrying a stuffed diaper bag in her arms. “And Petunia will be here any moment to pick up Harry and Merlins know when I’ll get her to babysit ever again.”<br/>
Chewie took a dive and managed to catch the floating snitch mid-air. With triumphantly raised tail, he carried his loot underneath the decorated Christmas three in the corner of the living room and started to rip it to shreds with pleasure.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“We could say she couldn’t come. Maybe she has some Muggle Illness, maybe the flea.”, James suggested and got up from the couch to collect a heartbreakingly weeping Harry into his arms.<br/>
“It’s called the flu, James.”, Lily corrected him, rummaging through the bag to make sure nothing was missing.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Chewie got the Snitchy.”, Harry informed his father sobbing and burrowed his running nose into James’ pyjama shirt. “Too bad, Harry, you’ll get it next time.”, James comforted him, caressing Harrys dark curls whilst laying back down on the couch, when suddenly the flames of the fireplace started to burn up green.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“You know, Harry.”, a familiar voice said as a tall figure appeared in the fire, “You could always use the broom Uncle Padfoot has given for your last birthday.”<br/>
Lily rolled her eyes but allowed Sirius to kiss her on the cheek after he stepped the fireplace. He was fully done up, dark locks combed into shiny waves, a dapper light beard framing his handsome face, wearing an elegant dark travel coat and a silk scarf.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“How dare you, looking like you stepped out of a Madam Malkings Catalogue if you know damn well that your best friends have a small child and haven’t dressed up in three years!”, James said accusatory from the couch, shooting a chocolate bean with his wand. Sirius dodged it experiencedly.<br/>
“Are you guys ready?”, he asked, walking over to the couch to take his cheering godson out of James’ arms. Chewie was hissing in the corner.<br/>
“Clearly, can’t you see?”, Lily asked, gesticulating towards her husband, lying on the couch in his pyjamas and the full set of rollers in her hair. Sirius gave an amused snort and lifted Harry up with a wide grin.<br/>
“Hello, best godson in the whole-wide world!”<br/>
“Uncle Pa’Foo!”, Harry exclaimed happily, burrowing his tiny fists in Sirius’ shoulder-long hair.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“I really don’t see why we have to attend this mind-dumbingly boring banquet.” James said, leaving his son over to his best friend and finally standing up. “There will be nothing but drowsy speeches and people in uncomfortable clothes.”<br/>
“Oh poor you, having to see your wife in a sexy dress and eating your way through the Hogwarts banquet in the process.”, Sirius mocked, putting Harry up on his shoulders.<br/>
“Your dress is sexy?”, James asked, looking at Lily with sudden interested.<br/>
“Smocking hot.”, Sirius confirmed, “We’ve been shopping together, and you can thank me later for that.”<br/>
“Oh, in that case.”, James grinned and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll have to come just for that sight, haven’t I?”<br/>
“That’s the spirit.”, Sirius agreed with a grin, rocking his cheering godson on his shoulders. “Now go get the hedge trimmer, Lily, and I’ll do my best turn the nest on your husbands head into something like a hairstyle.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
There really was no place like Hogwarts, Lily thought, when James helped her out of the carriage that had brought them all the way up to the castle.<br/>
Sirius had already left their carriage and was now standing a few feet away, absorbed in the familiar view of the ancient castle, absently caressing the Thestral that had pulled their carriage.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Isn’t it just the best?”, James asked her with a wide grin, taking her arm in an unusual act of gallantry and leading her towards the giant main portal. <br/> A few people in thick travel coats were lined in front of it, patiently waiting for a team of security trolls with Ministry Emblems to scan every guest with a Secrecy Sensor. A wizard in a pinstipe robe was standing next to them, watching every inspection closely. Bartemious Crouch, Lily knew, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He gave Sirius a suspicious look when a they passed the security barrier.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
The entrance hall was already full of people, standing in small groups and chatting animatedly.<br/> Lily could see Albus Dumbledore, wearing an embroidered silver Dressing Gown and talking to the Minister for Magic, Harold Minchum, an old wizard with a sour face. When Lily walked past them, she could Dumbledore tell his dialogue partner sprightly: “I indeed have submitted a draft for the Invitation, but they’ve changed almost everything and now it sounded a bit stuck-up, don’t you think?” <br/>Lily caught Dumbledores gaze and grinned when the Minister started a very slow monologue about the art of proper formulation. Dumbledore winked at her, then turned his head to nod sympathetically at Minchum.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Lily had just left her coat to a zealous house elf in exchange for a glass of Gillywater, giving her husband a slow wink (who was staring at her elegant, emerald green velvet dress as if he’d never seen a woman before), when a familiar voice called their names: “Lily! James! Sirius!”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Peter was paving his way through the crowd. He was wearing an old-fashioned, but expensive looking Dress Robe and a witch with blonde hair was clinging to his arm.<br/>
“Wotcher, Wo — Peter?”, James greeted his friend.<br/>
“I knew you would come.”, Peter grinned back at him. “You’re looking great, both of you! This is my date — Camille.”<br/>
“Nice to meet you.”, Lily greeted the blonde witch bemused. Peter had never really been lucky with dating and this woman was obviously way out of his league.<br/>
“Bonsoir.”, Camille answered with a polite smile. Her silvery blonde hair was styled elegantly, she was wearing a black cleavage dress and the sweet smell of violets surrounded her. Lily wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was Veela Blood somewhere in her family tree.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“She doesn’t speak English.”, Peter explained and returned Camilles sweet smile.<br/>
Sirius, who had just handed over his travel coat to the house elves as well, revealing his dashing Dress Robes — dark red with a checked pattern and matching waistcoat — turned around with a grin. “Pete! How’s it going? Who is this gorgeous human on your arm?”<br/>
“That’s Wormys date, Camille and she doesn’t speak English.”, James informed him, eyeing up Sirius’ outfit enviously.<br/>
“Always an advantage when dealing with Wormtail.”, Sirius answered automatically, but winked at Peter with a grin.<br/>
The smaller man rolled his eyes: “Are you trying to chat up McGonagall in all that tartan, Padfoot?”<br/>
“Hope never dies.”, Sirius answered nonchalantly as they walked through the portal into the Great Hall.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
The Great Hall was decorated gloriously. Glittering garlands made out of fir branches were wound around the stone pillars, swarms of iridescent fairies fluttering over their heads. On the west wall, a silvery bar counter was filled with dozens of colourful glass bottles, next to a stage where a band of goblins in tailcoats was playing cheerful music. Magical snows was fizzling out just above their heads, and instead of the four familiar house tables, dozens of round tables were arranged through the hall, decorated tastefully with artistic floral arrangements and silver candle candelabras.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Potter, Black and Pettigrew.”, James said and Lily turned her head to find that a tiny house elf was waiting next to the Halls entrance, looking for their names on a long list and then informing them with a chirping noise where their table was settled.<br/>
Because it really seemed like Dumbledore had invited the whole Order of the Phoenix, they met numerous familiar faces on their way through the hall. <br/>Their former teacher, Professor McGonagall, wearing full tartan, was greeting them when they walked by (“We’re twinning, Professor!”, Sirius commented with a wink), and Kingsley Shacklebolt, a young black wizard they knew from the Order, interrupted his chat with a pretty witch to accept James’ compliment for his new earring with a grin. <br/>Not far away, Alice and Frank Longbottom were trying to hide a yawn (they had a boy, like Lily and James, and were both working as Aurors full time, so Lily could imagine they weren’t getting much sleep). Lily made a mental note to brew Alice some Pepperup Potion for her birthday.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
When the group finally reached their table in the corner, right where the teachers table would usually stand, one seat was already taken. Lily only realized, who she was looking at, when the wizard turned his head and stood up as they approach him. <br/>Lily blinked in confusion, when James suddenly sprinted forward to draw the tall man into his arms: “Moony!”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus looked terrible, even worse than the last time Lily saw him, which was over a year ago. Out of all of them, the victory over Voldemort had used Remus the least. <br/>During the past four years, he had always continuously been on underground missions for the Order of the Phoenix — and it didn’t take much imagination to figure out what kind of underground. The few times they had seen him in between, he looked more hunted and tired every time, and could only stay for a few hours. Even worse, when Voldemort had finally been put to rout by Dumbledore last year, Remus still hadn’t been able to come back immediately. <br/>It would be to obvious, he had told them, <i> the others</i> would figure out he had been a spy all along if he was now suddenly vanishing. And then they would hunt him for it. Lily didn’t even want to imagine what <i>the others</i> would do to Remus if they’d find out he had been undercutting them on Dumbledores demand.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
But now he was here, wearing a shabby old Robe with patches at the elbows, but looking rested and happy. His sandy hair had gotten long and was hanging into his eyes (Lily doubted that werewolfes were very passionate hairdressers) and there were stubbles on his chin, but no fresh cuts could be seen on his arms or face and the way he was returning James’ hug did not look like he had any bone fractures. In fact, the arm he had wound around James looked quite muscular. Remus had always been tall — a lanky, awkward teenager who couldn’t really control his long limbs — but now he was looking more defined, more wiry. Lily would compliment him for it, if she didn’t know that these new muscles were no sign of working out in a healthy way, but more likely of survival training and sleeping outside.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“I was hoping to see you guys.”, Remus said warmly and enfolded Lily in his arms next. She could feel the stubble of his chin on her forehead. He smelled dusty and a bit like lavender — this suit had probably been hung in his fathers’ closet for years.<br/>
“We had no idea you’re back!”, she explained, taking his face between her hands and inspecting him properly. She did not like what she saw: there were dark circles under his eyes, and several new lines on his forehead. A scratch started behind his right ear and disappeared under his collar. <br/>
He smiled back at her reassuringly. “I just came back this morning. Went to Wales to find my mailbox packet with Ministry pamphlets and this invitation.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“You could have owled.”, a hard voice said. Lily turned around, one arm still around Remus’ neck, and looked into Sirius’ angry face. “You can’t tell me you just learned this morning that you would come back. You must have known for days. You could have owled, instead of fucking off to Wales without a single word.”<br/>
“I would have written to all of you tomorrow, Sirius. Excuse me for wanting one day to myself for settling back in.”, Remus answered with a frown.<br/>
Sirius opened his mouth to keep fighting, when Peter gently pushed him aside to hug Remus himself and introduce his pretty company. During the subsequent jumble to inspect the place cards and figuring out who was sitting where, Sirius didn’t have another opportunity to argue with Remus, but Lily could see the two of them interchanging enraged looks. <i>Idiots. </i><br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius felt thunderstruck. Remus. Remus was here. Remus was here, sitting at this table, opposite to him, talking to Marlene in his unnervingly friendly, polite way, acting as if he had just come back from two weeks of summer camp. <br/>To make things even worse, he was looking mouth-watering good, not that Sirius would tell him, the evil git. Sirius would probably not speak to him ever again, if he had a say in it. But Sirius rarely had a say in his interactions with Remus. Instead he usually was controlled by a feline, grinning, lip licking demon, who was sitting on his shoulder, whispering thinks like <i> Just go for it, Sirius, life is short </i> or <i> It’s just one night, that would never ruin your friendship </i>or <i> If you just act like you don’t care, he’ll come crawling back to you. </i> <br/>
The demon usually was very wrong, Sirius had learned over the years. In this moment though, he was full of energy, clawing his paws in Sirius’ shoulder and manically hissing <i>He hates you, he never would have contacted you, he’s glad you’re apart, his missions were just a welcome excuse to get rid of you. </i>Sirius knew this singsong, the demon had been practicing it for years now, since the day Remus had told him he had to go on a secret mission for the Order, he didn’t know when he would be coming back and it was probably for the better if they took a break meanwhile.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius forced himself stop staring at Remus, and let his glace wander around the table, which was now full. Next to Remus sat Marlene McKinnon, their friend back from Gryffindor. Sirius had probably missed her greeting when she had arrived with her girlfriend, Dorcas. The two witches looked quite pretty, Marlenes long light blonde hair was falling down to her waist and she was wearing a simple, but elegant dark blue Dress Robe. Dorcas, curly haired with dimples and a wide smile that was rarely leaving her face, was wearing a blush pink dress, which was not really Sirius’ taste. She caught Sirius’ gaze and winked, which he automatically returned with a smile. Dorcas giggled.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Next to Marlene and Dorcas was Gideon Prewett, the surviving one of the former Prewett twins. His brother, Fabian, had been killed near the end of the war, to the shock of the whole Order. He had been an extraordinary fighter, and it had taken three Death Eaters to take him down.<br/>
Sirius felt Gideons gaze on him and looked away quickly. They had been hooking up for a while, months after Remus left, they even tried to make things more serious and turn their occasional shagging into actual dating. It hadn’t worked out though, and it had probably been naïve to try. <br/>Gideon was a nice guy, but he just couldn’t handle Sirius’ temper, his impulsiveness and — at that time particularly — his unpredictable fits of anger.<br/>
<i>No one would have put up with you like that,</i> the demon whispered, and Sirius had to agree. <br/>He had been a mess back then. Even his friendship with James had suffered, Sirius remembered with a shudder, as he watched James on the other side of the table, brush Lilys red hair back and whispering something in her ear that made her blush.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
After Remus had left him, Sirius had fallen into a hole deeper that he had ever thought he could. <br/>
He had been isolating himself, sleeping all day and staying up all night, taking the most dangerous Order missions available and behaving foolhardy and — frankly — reckless. He had been on the edge of a drug addiction — the morphine he was given when he was patched up after duelling Death Eaters had turned out to numb his mind just as effectively when he was not injured — and every other week, Gideon had informed him that this was just too much to handle, stormed out of Sirius’ filthy flat and come back three days later, imploring Sirius to let him help.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
But Sirius did not want any help.<br/> He wanted to demonstrate how fucking miserable he was, he wanted Moony to see how much he destroyed him and to come back and say sorry. <br/>Which he — of course — did not. So it went on like that for a few months, until one night, James and Lily invited him over to their not yet fully furnished house and asked for his help. Which, no one in their right mind would ask Sirius for help in that state, but Prongs had never really been in a right mind when it came to his friends. <br/>The young married couple had asked Sirius to sit down on their chubby couch, drink a cup of tea and <i>please get your shit together, Padfoot, because we fucking need you right now. </i><br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“If you cannot do it for yourself”, James had said back then, looking the most determined Sirius had ever seen him, “Do it for us, for me and Lily. And for — the baby.” <br/>On this fateful evening, Sirius had not only learned he was going to be a godfather, but that his unborn godson was also in terrible danger already. That there was a prophecy saying a baby born in June, whose parents had defied Voldemort thrice already, would have the power to end the war. This baby would be hunted by the Death Eaters and their master and this baby would be either little Harry Potter or Alice’ and Franks son, Neville Longbottom. Therefore, the Potters and the Longbottoms both needed to find people they trusted to be their Secret-Keeper to perform the Fidelius Charm with, and James and Lily wanted Sirius to be the person their little family depended on.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
When Sirius came home that night, he collected all the drugs he had in his apartment and threw them in the loo (a classic), written a short letter to Gideon to thank him for putting up with him that long (and that he should get tested), packed a bag with his bare necessities and bought a ticket to Brazil. <br/>His life he could risk, no worries, but that was no longer the only life he was responsible for. <br/>He had spent a year in South America, wandered through the rainforest, met a whole lot of great people and occasionally some bad ones, learned new magic and new cooking skills and found out he had a thing for latinos and — who would have thought — the occasional latina. <br/>Then, after thirteen months, the hoped for letter had arrived: the Wizarding War was over, the Dark Lord was defeated. As it turned out, it had not even been Harry he’d been after, but little Neville Longbottom. Dumbledore had put up a trap and routed Lord Voldemort, and neither Harry nor Neville had been hurt in the process.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius came back after thirteen months of exile, suntanned and with a moustache James laughed at until Sirius shaved it off.<br/>The war was over, Lily and James were happy, Harry was grinning and growing and all seemed well —  but Remus had still been gone.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Until today, Sirius thought bitterly. <br/>It was not like he hadn’t heard anything from Remus during these long years. He had seen him twice, once when he left for Brazil and the last time a little over a year ago, when Remus had informed his three best friends that he still could not come out of his cover, it was too dangerous, and left after only twenty minutes which made Lily cry all night.<br/>
Both of these meetings had been short and there had been no possibility for Sirius to talk to Remus alone, which had probably been for the better, because it had taken him every ounce of willpower not to burst out screaming at Remus to <i>stop being such a martyr and come back already, stupid, selfless, cruel bastard.</i><br/>
Even now, four years and countless men later (well, not countless, but a perfectly classy amount, thank you very much), Sirius only wanted to take Remus in his arms, lead him out of this filled up hall, take him home, snog him senseless, make him rest, shag until noon, make him dinner, cuddle on the couch — until that haunted look would leave Remus’ face and he would be the laughing, gentle, adorable bookworm he had been during their time at Hogwarts.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
<i>That’s what you get for not processing your first heartbreak like an adult,</i> the demon told Sirius with a nasty hissing voice. <br/>But I’m not eighteen anymore, Sirius countered. ’m an actual adult with an actual adult life, I’m an Auror in training, I even go on proper dates with other real adult people, I have a cat for goodness sake. I will not act like a fool over meeting my ex. <i>Get it together Black.</i><br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
And with these uplifting thoughts, Sirius turned his head to start a chat with Benjy Fenwick.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Tease</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everybody is an idiot and Sirius is a tease on top of it. Prepare for trashy plot moving devices.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were two things James knew about Sirius with absolute certainty. 
</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>
First, he would do anything for his friends. And second, how he acted when he was chatting someone up — and that there was no escape at all.<br/>
For a moment, James even felt sorry for Benjy, because the way Sirius was flirting with him was downright outrageous. The poor lad looked like someone hit him in the face with a shovel.<br/>
James took a sip of his Gillywater in bemusement and watched as Benjy was apparently trying to tell a story about a Kneazle and an Erumpent, but was floundering every time Sirius looked up from the menu through his long eyelashes with an encouraging smile on his lips.<br/>
When they were younger, James had often been jealous of Sirius’ good looks, and even today, it was sometimes hard not to be, when a small tilt of Sirius’ head caused his dialogue partner to stutter incoherently.<br/>
But of course, James knew exactly who he had to thank for this show and he also knew that it was meant to hurt, not to please. And a carful look to his right told him, that Sirius was being pretty successful with that.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Gideon was unashamedly staring at Sirius and Benjy across the table, his right hand clenched to a fist. James could not really bring himself to care.<br/>
Gideon was a nice enough lad, a very capable wizard and knew a lot of hilarious pub stories, but James had been pretty relieved when he and Sirius had broken up. Gideon had always chosen the exact wrong way to deal with Sirius tantrums: yell at him for being such an asshole, threaten him with emotional distance and then being inconsequent and come crawling back after a while, pleading to let him back into his life.<br/>
James wrinkled his nose at these memories.<br/>
In his opinion, Gideon did not really care a bout Sirius, he just liked how exciting and charming he was when he was doing well, and lost his patience when Sirius’ needed any amount of emotional support. But instead of admitting that he was annoyed, he tried to turn this situation into him being the good Samaritan who would give up everything to save Sirius from his destructive self.<br/>
No, James decided, Sirius should not get back with someone who only wanted to polish his ego with him.<br/>
Why Sirius wanted to make Gideon jealous right now, only Godric knew. Maybe because it was New Years Eve and he was getting sentimental over all the glitter and the feelings. It didn’t really matter, James decided, it was a stupid idea and he, James, had to do something about it.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
He leaned to his left: “Moony?”<br/>
Remus, who had been involved in an amicable chat with Marlene McKinnon, turned his head and smiled at him: “Sorry James, have you asked anything?”<br/>
“Yes, would you — um — come to the bar with me? I want to try some wine but I’m really shit at choosing one, and you like wine, right?”<br/>
Remus looked and him dumbfoundedly for a second, but then smiled in confusion. “Sure.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
When they got up, Lily gave James an encouraging look. She probably too had noticed what was going on and wanted to compliment him for his quick thinking and social understanding. James smiled back at her reassuringly, before following Remus to the bar.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Lily stared at James’ and Remus’ backs with dark presentiment.<br/>
She loved her husband dearly, but subtlety was not really his strong spot and she feared that he misinterpreted the dynamics at this table. For a while now, Sirius was having a flirty little chat with Benjy Fenwick and Lily feared that James would think that Sirius’ tried to make Moony jealous. Which was ridiculous, these two had been apart for ages and also had not really seen each other much during those last few years.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Actually, Lily was rather pleased to see Sirius chat with Benjy.<br/>
Lily knew Benjy from some Order missions and she really had a good impression of him. He was a handsome, tall wizard with dark curls and a smart little moustache, very skillful with his wand (hopefully in more than one way) and a gentle deep voice.<br/>
A few months ago, he and Lily had an observation mission from the Order, which resulted in them sitting in the bushes outside of Malfoy Manor for several hours without much to do but chat. He had told her about the recent end of his relationship with the lead singer of a popular magical band, and while Lily assured him that she never liked <i> The Hopgoblins, </i> she had secretly planned to introduce him to Sirius —who  had been confused with Stubby Boardman several times, when he went Christmas shopping with Lily last week.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
And as always, her intuition had been perfectly right, as demonstrated by the smitten look on Benjys face now, when Sirius laughed about his story of the Kneazle and the Erumpent. Sirius had always liked animals and Benjy worked as a Healer for Magical Creatures, it was a match made in heaven.<br/>
The only problem would may be Gideon Prewett, who was glaring at the couple jealously and totally ignoring Dorcas' tries to make conversation. But Lily was confident that she could handle Gideon, if he tried to interfere with her new project.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Now, Lily thought triumphantly, she only had to find a nice guy (or girl) to introduce to Remus and everything would be perfectly settled.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“No, James, this one is for red wine — this is for white wine.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
James blushed and put back the glass. Remus grinned at him and turned back to critically inspecting two identical bottles of wine, until he chose the right one and took two wine glasses from the open bar. James watched him twisting in the corkscrew and then decided to come right to the point: “Look, Moony, I didn’t actually need your help with the wine—”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Yes, you did.”, Remus interfered amused and pulled the cork out of the bottle with a loud plop. James rolled his eyes. “Okay maybe, but that wasn’t the point. I don’t know if you’ve seen that Sirius is flirting with Benjy Fenwick for a while now?”<br/>
Remus blinked quickly, but then gave a little nod: “I — hm — noticed.”<br/>
“Well, I don’t think Sirius is trying to chat up Benjy. They’ve been on a few dates a while ago and Sirius found him boring.”<br/>
Remus blinked again, but then put the bottle on the bar with a smile. “Oh?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
James lost the thread for a moment. “Why are you putting it away, you have just opened it?”<br/>
“To let it breathe.”<br/>
“Ah — okay.” James shook his head in confusion. How was something as easy as drinking made so complicated?<br/>
“So — you were talking about Sirius and Benjy?”<br/>
“Oh — yes. Well, I don’t think that Sirius is actually interested.”, James lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I think he’s trying to make his ex jealous.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus lifted his head quickly and his eyes wandered over to their table, where Sirius was now casually touching Benjys arm. “You think?”<br/>
“Clearly.”, James answered, following Moonys gaze. “And it’s working, isn’t it?”<br/>
Remus hesitated for a moment as both of them watched Benjy try Sirius’ drink and handing it back with a feigned shudder, which made Sirius laugh barkingly. “I can’t deny that.”, Remus said softly.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“The thing is — I really don’t want them to get back together.”<br/>
Remus turned his head quickly to look at James. He looked hurt. “You — do you think that wouldn’t make Sirius happy?”<br/>
“Absolutely not.”, James said resolutely. Gideon had jumped on his feet now and was practically storming out of the hall. “You see?”, James asked. “Gid is a hothead, he was terrible at supporting Sirius when they were together. I mean”, James added, out of fairness, “Padfoot really was a mess back then. But Gideon did not help at all, by abandoning him one day and telling him he was too much to handle and then come back later, saying he would give him another chance if he promised to change, again and again and again.”<br/>
Remus had listened with a blank expression. “He did that?”, he asked quietly.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Yes.”, James confirmed. For a moment, their conversation was interrupted by Camille, who stepped at the par next to them, critically inspecting the selection of drinks.<br/>
“Would you like some wine?”, Remus offered politely, but Camille took a look at the bottle and wrinkled her pretty nose.<br/>
<i>„En aucune façon.“ </i>, she answered, choosing a bottle filled with an auburn liquid and carrying it back to their table.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Er –“, Looking after her dumbfoundedly, James needed a moment to remember what he had been about to say.<br/>
“Gideon and Sirius.”, Remus remembered him softly.<br/>
“Ah, yes. Gideon stormed off and came back, over and over again. And you know Padfoot — that’s not how to treat him right. He needs to know that one loves him unconditionally, but also someone who will just tell him if he’s behaving like a jerk. I mean, we did that, seven years at Hogwarts and it worked, right?”<br/>
“Most of the time.”, Remus agreed, a small frown on his forehead.<br/>
“Yeah. And Gideon was not like that at all. He was more — acting like he was so generous for taking Sirius back all the time, when he really was just trying to make himself look like a self-sacrificing person. So I really don’t want them back together, Moony. That would set Pads back several years.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus calmly took the bottle standing next to him and poured two glasses of wine. “I don’t want them back together either.”<br/>
“Great!”, James grinned and accepted the glass Remus was giving him. “So — will you help me to prevent that?”<br/>
Remus gave him a smile, but there was hard look in his eyes that James hadn’t seen in a while. “I will.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
They clinked glasses and James took a sip of his wine, which made him make a face.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus and James returned to the table just in time. When the goblin band finished their song, the lights slowly were dimmed and the chattering quickly died down. Only the most pompously decorated table, right in the centre of the hall, was illuminated brightly.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Albus Dumbledore, his silvery robe blinking in the light of the flickering candles, was standing behind his gold adorned seat, letting his gaze wander over the hall and his illustrious guests.<br/>
“Welcome!”, the old wizard said with a loud voice, making the candelabras stir gently. “Welcome to Hogwarts! I am very happy to have the honour of greeting every single one of you in the walls of this wondrous, old castle. The occasion for which we all have gathered here is filling me with gratitude and joy.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Dumbledore took a step back from his seat and slowly turned around, letting his gaze wander over his audience. “It has been one year since the end of a War that has cost countless, valuable lifes, destroyed families, torn apart friendships. But I, here and now, have the unpleasant duty to remind you that our greatest enemy has may been defeated — but he did not leave without a trace. He has sowed mistrust and fear amongst the wizarding population. Times like these reveal the best and the worst in people — and for some, that means acting their worst on their best intend.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
A few places next to Remus, Peters date, the pretty french witch, was watching the Centre Table blandly. Remus followed her gaze and found the wizard in the pinstripe robe, Barty Crouch, sitting next to the Minister and listening to Dumbledores speech with a small frown.<br/>
</p>
</div><div></div><div>
  <p>
“Do not forget that the obvious danger may be banned — but the war will not be over for a long time. Even now, after Lord Voldemort has been gone for over a year, everyone need to keep fighting — fighting prejudices and rumours, fighting outlawing and panic.”<br/>
Remus looked down at his glass of wine. He could hear his heart beat in his ear.<br/>
“So tonight, let’s celebrate the new year and the new era — an era in which every single member of the wizarding society will be upholding kindness and faith over fear and distrust!”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Kindness and faith.”, the whole hall toasted. Dumbledore smiled, opening his arms widely.<br/>
“And as my dear friend Nicholas Flamel has always said — the foundation of kindness is a filled stomach! So let’s eat my friends — let’s eat, drink and be merry! Bon appetit!”<br/>
Under spontaneous applause, a small army of house elves fanned out to the round tables, carrying tablets of steamy meals. Remus thoughtfully took a sip of wine.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius was getting bored.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
After Dumbledores dramatic speech, Sirius had spent the appetizer and most of the main course pulling out all the stops of his flirting game. As a result, Benjys stories were getting more boresome by the minute, but Sirius was pretty sure Benjy would do everything he’d ask for at the flick of his finger now. Which was of no advantage to Sirius, because there was nothing he wanted Benjy to do really, apart from maybe stop talking about the healing characteristics of dragon dung.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius decided he had suffered enough, and it was about time to find out if his effort had come to fruition. He gently ended his conversation with Benjy (as gentle as a “How interesting, just a moment okay?” could be) and leaned over the table. “Fancy a cigarette before desert, Lils?”<br/>
She gave him an alarmingly wide smile. “Absolutely. Benjy, how about you?”<br/>
“No thank you, Lily.”, Benjy said politely, “I don’t smoke.” (as he had told Sirius about ten times already).<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“But I’ll come.”, a firm voice said to their right. Sirius turned his head before remembering that he had decided to under absolutely no circumstances look at Remus. Too late. Remus brown eyes were boring directly into his, his mouth hard and thin. Not exactly the reaction Sirius had hoped for, but oh well. Even some reaction was a success with Moony.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius gave him a wide smile: “Great! Let’s go then."<br/>
Lily took his arm and he gallantly lead her out of the hall, Remus stumping right behind them grumpily. The Main Portal was open and outside, snowflakes were slowly trickling down. In the patio, a little oasis was put up, edged by hedges and covered in warming charms. A little fountain in its centre was splattering happily, just metres away from the thick snow layers covering the rest of the castle.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius conjured a cigarette case and offered it to Lily first. She took two, gave one to Remus and lighted them both with the tip of her wand. As she leaned against one of the stone pillars, cigarette in hand and long red hair falling over her shoulders, contrasting her floating velvet dress, Sirius mused about what a lucky man James was. She really did look stunning.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
But Lily immediately destroyed his good opinion by slowly blowing out the smoke and asking: “You and Benjy get along pretty well, don’t you?”<br/>
Sirius, noticing that he had forgotten his wand inside, slowly twirled his cigarette between his fingers: “I guess.”<br/>
“He is really great, I got to know him better a while ago on a mission for the Order. Did you know he’s a Healer for Magical Creatures?”<br/>
“He only mentioned that about a dozen times.”, Sirius murmured, too quiet for Lily to hear.<br/>
“Yes and he plays in a band! Isn’t that great? I think it’s some kind of folk — no funk —”<br/>
While Lily was chatting about Benjy Fenwicks various qualities (he could also cook, what a dreamguy), Sirius felt a nudge on his elbow and turned his head.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“I’ll help you out.”, Remus said softly, to not interrupt Lily, and lifted his cigarette to his lips. For a split second, Sirius was frozen to the spot, then he gulped and nodded, putting his own cigarette to his mouth. Remus gently lowered his head, so the tips of their cigarettes could touch, and Sirius closed his eyes and sucked.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
<i>Don’t open your eyes, </i>the demon snarled. <i>Or everything will be lost.</i><br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius opened his eyes and found that Remus was looking back, the warm light of the glowing cigarettes between them. And Sirius felt the heat rise in his chest, burning the stupid little demon, burning the last four years, burning his pride and his defiance. His heart was pounding in his chest, and when a strand of Remus hair was touching the skin of his forehead, Sirius wished Lily and her pretty hair and her pretty dress to hell, because if she hadn’t been there, he would have given up at that exact point. For a split second, Remus fingers softly touched Sirius’ jawline and when they parted again, the temperature seemed to sink by several degrees. Sirius had to supress a shudder.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“— and he lives in London, not too far away from you!”, Lily concluded, turning around with a hopeful smile.<br/>
“Who?”, Sirius asked automatically. He could hear Remus chuckle behind him.<br/>
“Benjy!”, Lily exclaimed, looking a bit disappointed.<br/>
“Oh. Yes. Great.”, Sirius agreed, distracted by Remus’ warm presence in his back.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Are you guys coming?”, James’ loud voice called from the main portal. “The dessert will be served!”<br/>
“Coming!”, Lily answered with a wave and put out her cigarette and lead the two wizards back to the castle with her.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“How’s it going?”, James whispered over a huge portion of chocolate ice cream, when Remus sat back down next to him.<br/>
“I think you’re right.”, Remus answered, a small smile around his lips and a snowflake in his hair. “I don’t think Sirius actually likes Benjy and I think he’s trying to make his ex-boyfriend jealous.”<br/>
“Damn it!”, James cursed quietly. “Sirius is such an unoriginal bugger.”<br/>
“Yes, isn’t he?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Sirius!” a loud voice said and the whole table looked up.<br/>
Gideon Prewett was standing next to his place, looking at Sirius with a face of fierce determination. “A word.”<br/>
Sirius looked rather annoyed. “Can I finish my desert first, Gid?”, he asked.<br/>
“No!”, Gideon hissed and marched away, a face like thunder.<br/>
“Merlins pants.”, Sirius cursed, but stood up to follow him. Remus watched the two wizards leaving the hall through the main door, but turning to the left, entering the staircase.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Fuck.”, James said not very quietly, “That is exactly what I wanted to prevent.”<br/>
“Me too.”, Lily sighed and pushed her ice cream away. “I wanted to set him up with Benjy.”<br/>
James frowned: “Benjy? They’ve been on a few dates. Sirius finds him boring.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus took a quick glance over to the other side of the table, where Benjy was engaged in a lively discussion with Marlene and Dorcas, and did not seem to hear them. Peter and his date were nowhere to be seen.<br/>
“They’ve already been dating? And no one told me!”, Lily grumpled.<br/>
“Did you really think there’d be a gay man in the Order who would not immediately hit on Sirius?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus gave a dry cough. Both of them ignored him.<br/>
“Oh no, but that means —”<br/>
“That you’ve been wasting your time all night.”, James finished triumphantly. Lily frowned for a moment.<br/>
“So you think he only wanted to make Gideon jealous?”<br/>
“And it worked pretty well, didn’t it?”<br/>
“Oh my — I thought you assumed he wanted to get back together with Moony! Which would have been ridiculous, so I —”<br/>
“It would?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Lily and James both turned their heads to look at Remus, who was poking his ice cream with his spoon. When he looked up, the expression on his face was unreadable.<br/>
“You really think it would be ridiculous to think that Sirius would take me back?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Lily and James faces both lightened up like Christmas trees, when they finally understood.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Moony.”, James said, carefully controlling his voice, “Does that mean you — you’d want that?”<br/>
Remus was lowering his gaze quickly again, but his voice sounded gentle. “I was hoping for it.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Then why on earth are you sitting here on your ass!”, Lily yelled, gesticulating wildly. “Holy fuck, Moony, you are one unpredictable git!”<br/>
Both men stared at her in awe. They had never heard Lily swear like that.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Of fucking course, we want you and Sirius back together! Bloody hell! Are you fucking kidding me? And you sit there all night and let me chat about Benjy Fucking Fenwick!”<br/>
“We just had no idea that you wanted that, Moony.”, James explained much calmer, but with a slight frown on his forehead. “You’ve — not exactly tried to uphold your relationship when you were away, have you?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“No.”, Remus answered, returning James look steadily. “I thought it would be easier this way for Sirius if I’d die.”<br/>
Lily stared at him in shock. When she found her voice again, she mumbled: “Bloody hell, Remus, you are one bloody martyr, huh?”<br/>
James rolled his eyes. “Has always been, the stupid git.”<br/>
“But then what are you waiting for! Go after them, for Merlins sake!”<br/>
Remus frowned. “You — You think he would choose me? Over Gideon?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Lily and James exchanged a look. Then James started to speak in a very severe voice: “I’m not gonna lie, Moony — You broke Sirius’ heart when you left him back then. But we all know that Sirius is stupidly devoted to the people he loves — and yes, I think he would choose you over — over anyone, really.”<br/>
Remus gulped, then he screwed up his courage and stood up. “I’m going after them.” But then he hesitated. “Oh —they went up into the castle. I have no idea where to look.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
James started to grin like a chesire cat. “If only”, he exclaimed, rummaging through his Robes’ pockets, “We had a map to help you with that!”<br/>
With a wide grin, he presented a very familiar piece of parchment. Remus couldn’t help but smile when James poked the map with his wand triumphantly: “I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius followed Gideon up the Great Staircase. He was not exactly sure what on earth he had done to make the redhead look like he swallowed a deck of Exploding Snap, but he still felt guilty for how he dumped Gideon three years ago and wanted to seem as conciliatory as possible. So when Gideon turned around in an empty corridor, right next to the incredibly ugly tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and his ballet trolls, Sirius gave him a polite smile: “So?”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“What do you think you are doing?”, Gideon hissed, ruffling his ginger hair agitatedly. Gideon was a tall wizard, square-shouldered and handsome in a rugged way, if one liked that sort of thing (and Sirius did). He had been working on his uncles dragon farm up in Ireland every summer since he turned fourteen, and there had been a time when Sirius could barely resist his lopsided smiles and strong arms. But these days had been over for a long time now and Sirius was growing more annoyed by the minute.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“What am I doing, Gid?”, he snorted.<br/>
“You’re flirting! With Benjy!”<br/>
Sirius supressed a yawn. “And? Are you jealous? I thought we were over this, Gideon.”<br/>
“I’m not —", Gideon started to pace the corridor, “I’m not jealous for you! I’m jealous of you!”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius blinked in confusion. “Wait — you’re jealous of me? So — You know Benjy?”<br/>
“Yes, I fucking know Benjy! We’ve been dating after you — after you dumped my ass and fucked off to Godric knows where!” Gideon continued to pace the corridor. The trolls on the tapestry followed him every time he walked past their wall, like a herd of sheep.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“I’ve been pretty down after you left. Then I met Benjy and — he understood! He had been dumped by his ex without any explanation too. It was just —“, Gideon stopped and shrugged helplessly “Right.”<br/>
“That’s great.”, Sirius answered, still not seeing how this was more important than him being downstairs and flirting with Remus. “But you broke up?”<br/>
“Yes, after a few months. He — he left me for his ex.”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Sirius couldn’t supress a laugh, but managed to turn it into a cough. “That must’ve been hard.”<br/>
“Yeah.”, Gideon looked up to him, frowning. “And then — last week, Lily mentioned that he is single again. And that he would come tonight — alone. So I just —”<br/>
“You wanted to make up tonight, okay, I get it.”, Sirius rolled his eyes. “I didn’t know. But he was pretty — okay with me flirting with him.” (he didn’t want to be rude and say that Benjy had already dropped several hints that he wouldn’t be opposed to go home with Sirius later) “Are you sure he is — um — interested in getting back together?”<br/>
“Of course he is!”, Gideon claimed feverishly, “We’re meant to be! If just — if you would just not have hogged him like that! All I wanted was a place to be alone with him!”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
At that moment, they heard a soft swooshing noise and opposite to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, where a moment ago had been nothing but blank stone, a door appeared.<br/>
Sirius frowned. The door was high and slim, made out of dark wood and with a small, heart shaped window, too high to look through it. The window was filled with red coloured glass.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Merlins beard.”, Gideon whispered. “Where did that come from?”<br/>
“No idea.”, Sirius said distractedly and lifted his hand to the brass handle. It had little hearts engraved into it.<br/>
“Sirius, maybe you should not —” But Sirius opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
The room behind it was low-lit and cozy. Banners of dark red fabric were draped from the walls to the centre of the ceiling, like a circus tent. Several couches were standing on the walls, loaded with plushy pillows in different shades of red and pink. Soft music was coming out of nowhere and a sweet scent was floating in the air. The centre piece of the room was a giant four-poster bed on the opposite wall, covered in rose petals.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Well fuck.”, Gideon stated as he entered the room behind Sirius.<br/>
“Yes, I think that’s exactly what this room is for.”, Sirius answered with a grin, inspecting a bouquet of exotic flowers.<br/>
“I had no idea Hogwarts had a room like that.”, Gideon said, looking around with wide eyes.<br/>
“Maybe you have to be really horny to find it.”, Sirius suggested and hopped on the bed. The rose petals jumped up and down, like on a trampoline.<br/>
Gideon grinned. “I surely would have been really thankful for it during schooltime.”<br/>
“I bet.”, Sirius grinned and laid back on the bed, looking up to the velvet canopy.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Hey wha — fuck!”, Gideon cursed suddenly. Sirius propped himself up on his elbows, just to see that Gideon had tangled his head up on one of the red fabric stripes.<br/>
“Hey, Gid, stop, I’ll help—” But Gideon took an uncertain step, stumbled over one of the small side tables and tumbled down on the giant bed, right on top of a surprised Sirius.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
“Fuck, Gid, hold on —“, Sirius laughed and tried to free the taller man of the red fabric that had wrapped itself firmly around his head. “You really are an idiot, you know?”, Sirius grinned and pulled on the red cloth unsuccessfully, only answered by some incomprehensible grumble from under it. Sirius decided to try another approach and turned his head — and looked right at a tall figure, standing in the doorway.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
The laugh fell from Sirius’ face when he watched Remus turn around and leave.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
-<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
You, Remus told himself when he slammed the door with the heart-shaped window shut behind him, really are incorrigible. You think you can come back after four years and just continue where you left? Just because you’ve been living in a cave doesn’t mean the rest of the world has.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
He stormed down the Great Staircase with long steps, trying to ban the image from his mind he had just witnessed. Of course the ex-boyfried Sirius had been trying to make jealous hadn’t been him. Of course it was the fit, bearded dragon-tamer, not the scrubby, destitute werewolf. Of bloody course.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus had reached the end of the staircase. To his right gleamed the warm light of the Great Hall, but he walked left, through the main portal that led to the spelled patio. But Remus didn’t want fake warmth now, he needed the cold to snap him out of his strain. So he walked right past the hedges, out of the castles’ stone walls onto the snowy grounds.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
You should have expected it, he told himself, ploughing through the knee-high snow. But of course he hadn’t. Expected it. Back then, when he decided it was for the best to end his relationship with Sirius before leaving to go undercover with the werewolves, he didn’t know that he’d be gone so long. Six month, maybe a year he had thought, surely not long enough to make Sirius forget about him completely. Still, if the worst would happen and he’d die in the field — then it would have been easier for Sirius to move on if they had broken up first. But yes, if Remus was being perfectly honest with himself, he had always thought that if he’d come back, he’d come back to be with Sirius.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus did not even care that much that Sirius had been having sex with other people, everyone had needs and, really, he hadn’t been celibate either. But he would have never thought that he’d come back to find Sirius attached to someone else. That, Remus thought bitterly, was the fantasy of a seventeen year old boy, who was in love for the first time. Convinced that there was no way the other person wouldn’t feel like him, that this love was special and that all the adults, telling him that he’d get over it, were wrong.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
That’s what you get for not asking Sirius to wait for you, Remus told himself strictly. Sirius had offered it, hell, he begged for it. But oh no, you had to be heroic Mr. Moony and play the noble martyr and tell him to move on. And now that he did indeed move on, you’re being bitter about it.<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus had wandered out of the lights cast by the castles windows now, and it was becoming dark and cold around him. He shuddered and fumbled for his wand to cast a warming charm — but his wand was gone. Frowning, Remus stopped and searched his pockets carefully. No wand. When did he have it the last time? He used it to turn on the Marauders Map to find Sirius when he left the Great Hall and then —<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Remus heard a cracking noise behind him and turned around. A figure was approaching him in the dark, a small man with blonde hair. He man was shaking.<br/>
“Pete?”, Remus asked in surprise. “What are you doing out here? Can you cast a warming charm for us I’m freezing my balls o—”<br/>
</p>
</div><div>
  <p>
Then, Remus fell silent. Peter had lifted his shaking hand and pointed his wand right between Remus’ eyes.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed sassy Sirius and angsty Remus. I'd love to hear your throughts! Last chapter will be finished soon. (:</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Traitor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The story peaks rather dramatically when it turns out that this has been a crime thriller all along. I'm just as surprised as you are.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Buggering fuck!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius pushed Gideon off him with a fierce motion that made the taller man tumble off the bed and onto the ground, cursing under the fabric wrapped around his head. Sirius decided that if Gideon could handle dragons, he surely would be able to get a cloth off his head, jumped off the bed and left the ginger wizard alone in the plushy room. Remus had thrown the door shut behind him and when Sirius dragged it open, there was a clacking noise as it pushed against an object on the stone floor. Sirius picked it up: it was Remus wand, that must’ve fallen out when he stormed off. Carefully, he put it inside his waistcoat with his own wand and the rushed down the Great Staircase to the entrance hall.<br/>
He didn’t need a vivid imagination to know what Remus must have thought when he saw him and Gideon like that. Even though Sirius was not sure if Remus even knew about his — in lack of a better term — relationship with Gid, but the scene itself had looked pretty clear. Sirius cursed internally. <i>I will not lose the love of my life because of some cliché romcom misunderstanding. </i><br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
But when Sirius entered the Great Hall and walked back to their table as fast as he could, there was no sight of Remus. In fact, the table looked pretty depleted: not only Remus’, Gideons and his own seats were empty, but also the better part of the others. Marlene, Dorcas and Benjy must have wandered off to the bar — only Lily and James were left, debating hotly.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“There you are!”, James greeted him impatiently. “What happened? Where is Gideon — and Moony?”<br/>
“Gid is on the seventh floor, wrestling a banner of fabric. And Moony I don’t know, I’m looking for him too.”<br/>
“He went after you.”<br/>
“Yes, I know, I fucking know! He saw me and Gid — but it was a misunderstanding! There was this room made for shagging —” “A room made for shagging?”, Lily chuckled. Sirius ignored her.<br/>
“And Gideon stumbled because he’s an idiot — and he landed on top of me. On the bed!”, he added, to make things more clear.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Lily and James looked at him like two mooncalves.<br/>
“That is the dumbest excuse ever. Just admit that you were trying to make Gideon jealous with Benjy because you wanted to get him back.”, James stated.<br/>
“Get back? With Gideon? Prongs, do you even know me at all? We were terrible together! Of course I don’t want to get back with him! Besides, he has a thing for Benjy, Godric knows why, because he is clearly the dullest lad I’ve ever met—”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“He’s not dull!”, Lily interrupted him indignantly. “He’s a Healer for Magical Creatures! He rescued an Erumpent once!”<br/>
“That’s what he says but have we ever heard the Erumpents point of view?”<br/>
“What are you implying?!”, she asked furiously.<br/>
“Why would it climb on a tree, Lily? It literally weights a ton!”<br/>
“Stop it, you two.”, James cut them off. “Where have you last seen Moony?”<br/>
“He stormed out of the room, up on the seventh floor. He lost his wand next to the stairs so I figured he must’ve come down here —”<br/>
“The Map!”, Lily yelled. “We can look for him on the Map! Remus left it here after …”<br/>
“After what?”<br/>
“After he found you and Gideon on it.”<br/>
Sirius gave her a strict look. “Have you been playing matchmaker again, Lils?”<br/>
Lily rolled her eyes. “I had no choice, it’s a pain to watch you two stumbling around each other.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Here.”, James stated, unfolding the Marauders Map. The three of them looked on it eagerly.<br/>
“There he is!”, Lily called, pointing to a dot out on the Hogwarts grounds saying Remus John Lupin.<br/>
“Wish me luck!”, Sirius demanded before turning on his heels and rushed outside the Great Hall.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Lily looked after him, chuckling in bemusement, but James kept looking at the Map with a frown.<br/>
“What is it?”, Lily asked, following his gaze. A little way away from Remus John Lupin, two other labelled dots were pausing on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest. Lily blinked, when she read their labels and then quickly looked up to the Centre Table, which was fully seated.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
It took them a moment to understand.<br/>
“We have to go after them!”, James exclaimed and jumped up, grapping his wand with one hand and the Map with the other. Lily did the same and together, they followed Sirius out of the Hall as quickly as they could.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
-<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus stared past the tip of Peters wand, directly into his friend’s eyes. “What are you doing, Pete?”, he asked hoarsely. His own fingers twitched, but he knew he had no chance.<br/>
“I’m sorry Remus — It’s nothing personal.”, Peter squealed. “It’s just the most plausible solution, isn’t it?”<br/>
Remus started to slowly walking back, when another wand poked between his shoulder blades. He smelled violets.<br/>
“You’ve been undercover for four years, Remus. It’s not unexpected for you to change sides.”; Peter continued, his voice shrill. The snow crunched under their feet.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Ch — Change sides? What do you mean —”<br/>
“I mean no one will be surprised when they hear you’ve panicked and killed the Minister.”<br/>
“I — what?”<br/>
Peter lifted his wand even higher, his watery eyes shining. “We hardly heard anything from you during these past years — why didn’t you come back immediately after the war ended? What held you back?”<br/>
“Pete — Please, don’t do that — please.”<br/>
“Sorry Remus. It’s the price — the price I have to pay to be on the right side.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus stared at him and clenched his fist. He could hear noises through the snow — there were people coming, running over the grounds towards them. “Not the right side, Pete.”<br/>
Peters eyes widened. He could hear them too. “The winner’s side is always the right one, Remus.”<br/>
He lifted his wand: “Imperio!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
-<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
They had almost reached the edge of the Forbidden Forrest, following the footsteps in the snow, when Sirius saw a tall blurred figure in the dark. It started snowing more strongly and through the whirling snowflakes, the person was approaching quickly. “Remus!”, Sirius called through the howling wind — and then stopped immediately.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus was trudging through the snow directly towards him. His face was pale and expressionless, and he didn’t even look at Sirius’ face but over his shoulder to the castle.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Remus, I —“, Sirius gulped. He hadn’t though this far. “What you just saw wasn’t —”<br/>
“Get out of my way.”, Remus said in a hollow voice. Snow was sticking in his hair and on his wool suit, his lips were already turning blue from the cold. Sirius frowned.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Moony, please, you’ll freeze to death if you —”<br/>
“Get out of my way.”, Remus echoed. He still was not looking at Sirius face. Sirius was slowly getting angry. He was here, wasn’t he? He went after Remus, he wanted to make things right. Why did Remus have to act so dramatically, standing in the snow without a warming charm, refusing to even look him in the eye?<br/>
“Hey!”, Sirius said angrily, stepping closer. “Will you just give me a minute to explain —“, furiously, he grabbed Remus’ forearm.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus made a growling noise and before Sirius realized what was happening, he was pushed down into the snow, Remus kneeling over him and closing his long fingers around Sirius throat. Sirius’ hand shot up, grabbing Remus’ wrists and desperately trying to free himself, but the werewolf was strangling him mercilessly. Sirius made a choking noise, and looked up in Remus’ pale face, which was now twitching, his neck jerking as if he was getting electric shocks.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Rem—“, Sirius gagged. Remus’ face was getting blurry over him and darkness creeped at the edges of his field of view. And then, the unforgiving vice around his throat was loosening, just the tiniest bit.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Flipendo!”, a familiar voice screamed in the distance and suddenly, the weight on top of Sirius was torn away. He rolled over in the snow, gasping for air desperately, feeling his maltreated throat. Someone came running and kneeling down next to him. He saw long, red hair.<br/>
“Are you alright, Pads?”, Lily asked breathlessly, pulling away his fingers to look at his throat. She gently stroked his Adams apple with her wand, whispering “Anapneo!” Immediately, Sirius could breathe more easily. He sat up, panting, Lilys arm supporting him. “Thanks, Lils.”, he croaked.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
When he looked up, he could see another figure laying in the snow, a few feet away from him. Remus was on his fours, shaking uncontrollably, his hands spastically clenching into fists and opening up again. James was standing with his back towards Sirius and Lily, his wand pointing at Remus threateningly.<br/>
“What happened?”, Sirius wheezed when Lily helped him on his feet. “I was just — trying to talk to him and he — attacked me!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“He’s gone mad!”, a voice behind them called. Sirius turned around to see — Peter, walking through the snow, his arm around Camille. She was leaning against him heavily, her blonde hair hanging in her face. She seemed half unconscious.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Pete, what —“, Lily started.<br/>
“Remus attacked her too!”, Peter howled. His dark Dress Robe was covered in a thin layer of snow already. “Camille and I came outside for a little walk and Remus sneaked up on us from behind. He shocked her and then he was trying to kill me! I just managed to disarm him!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus did not say a word, nor did he stand up. His head jerked heavily, his shoulders were slouched.<br/>
“Why would he do that?”, James asked warily.<br/>
Sirius slowly started to walk up to Remus, his wand lifted carefully, Lily next to him. “Moony?”, he asked in a quiet voice. Remus jaw was clenched, the muscles were twitching under his pale skin — but he didn’t answer, nor did he look up to meet their eyes.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“He spouted off about us choosing the wrong side — and that we would all pay!”, Peter said in a shrill voice. He had lifted his wand accusingly, pointing at Remus.<br/>
Lilys gaze wandered from Remus, who was kneeling in the snow, to Peter and Camille. She frowned. “But where —“, her gaze fell on Camille. “Oh.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius carefully lowered his head and could now see Remus’ face. His eyes were opened, wide and fearful, his teeth pressed together, every muscle was tensed and twitching. He looked as if he was fighting against something. Sirius felt anger roar in his chest, but forced himself to be calm.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“There’s one funny thing about that, Wormtail.”, Sirius said loudly.<br/>
“And what?”, Peter snorted. Sirius did not turn around, but he knew Peter had not narrowed his wand when Sirius had stepped between him and Remus.<br/>
Sirius slowly lifted his own wand at Remus.<br/>
“How could you have disarmed Moony — if he didn’t even have his wand?”<br/>
Sirius could see Remus’ eyes flicker and said in a low voice: “Finite”.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus’ felt the Imperius Charm drop from his body like heavy chains. His vision, before viscous and slow like honey, finally became clear again. He saw Sirius, standing in front of him. Further back, Peter was opening his mouth and screamed: “Stupor!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus instinctively took a dive, grasping Sirius’ arm and dragging him down in the snow with him. Peters hex frizzled over their heads, into the woods behind them. He could hear James voice scream “Expelliarmus!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius felt the warmth of Remus body pressed against his back and opened his eyes again. They were lying in the snow once again, the cold slowly seeping into their robes. But this time, Remus arm was slung around his chest protectively, his warm breath tickling Sirius’ neck. Immediately, Remus pulled Sirius up with him again. “You’re okay?”, he whispered frightenedly and Sirius nodded. Remus gaze wandered over his face and stopped at the red bruise on his neck. His eyes widened in shock. “Sirius, I’m so —”<br/>
But Sirius shook his head, “I’m fine, Moony.” Then he fumbled in his pocket and handed Remus’ back his wand, before both of them turned around.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Peter was kneeling in the snow, disarmed, with Lily and James both pointing their wands at him. But standing right behind Peter was a slim figure. Camilles blonde hair was hurling in the wind, and she had her own wand stabbing into Peters throat.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Don’t move!”, she yelled, her eyes wandered over Lily, James, Sirius and Remus. “Or I’ll kill him.”<br/>
“You picked up the English pretty quick after all.”, Sirius said sarcastically. Camille grinned with a snarl.<br/>
“We know who you are!”, Lily said, her wand steadily pointing at Peter and Camille. “What did you use? Polyjuice Potion? Or just a transformation?”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Camille grinned even wider. Her nails were still digging into Peters neck, but she quickly tapped her temple with her wand.<br/>
The long, blonde hair was falling out, growing back short and straw-coloured. Freckles popped up on the nose, who was stretching bigger, the facial features became hard and masculine. On the mans bare forearm, sticking out of his thick cloak, manifested a large black symbol.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus gasped in surprise: “Barty Crouch!”<br/>
Sirius snorted: “Best date you ever had, huh, Wormtail?”<br/>
Remus turned his head in shock to look at Lily: “How — how did you know?”<br/>
“The Map never lies.”, James answered. Frost was flittering on the edges of his glasses. “We saw Peter on the grounds — with Bartemius Crouch.”, he narrowed his eyes. “Only that Bartemius Crouch was already sitting at the Centre Table. Bartemius Crouch Senior.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Crouch hissed when James took a step further: “Stay away or I’ll kill him!”<br/>
“He has just lied to our faces and hexed one of our friends! Why would I care?”<br/>
“James.”, Lily said warily. “It’s Peter.”<br/>
“Yes, James, it’s Peter!”, Crouch aped her. “That’s the difference between you and us, Potter! We know worthless scum when we see it!”<br/>
“But —”, James sounded confused, “Why would he —”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Yes, why would he?”, Crouch snarled, piercing his wand even further into Peters throat. “Do you want to tell them, Pettigrew? No? Too much of a coward to tell your so-called friends you’ve betrayed them?”<br/>
Peter whimpered quietly. Crouch gave him a disgusted look. “This piece of filth has never been on your side, Potter, nor has he been on ours. He changes his loyalty as soon as the wind is turning. Until one year ago, he worshipped the Dark Lord, he followed his orders and provided information out of the centre of Dumbledores pack. But when the Dark Lord had to leave, he suddenly decided that Dumbledores side was the more promising one! So he kept his lying mouth shut, hoping that no one would find out what his real role during the war had been — and hoping that the Dark Lord would not come to come back to demand his loyalty back!” Crouches eyes were gleaming manically. “But we did! We, who have sworn fidelity to the Dark Lord, have found him and reminded him of his duties, haven’t we, Pettigrew?”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Peter sobbed und mumbled, but not loud enough to make himself be heard. Crouch continued.<br/>
“We knew that there would be an event the Minister for Magic would attend, and when we learned it would be at Hogwarts, we knew that Dumbledore would never allow Dementors inside the castle! So all we needed —”, he grinned even wider, “Was someone with an invitation. “<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“I didn’t want it!”, Peter howled, high and shrill, “I didn’t want it! Please! They forced me!”<br/>
“How?”, Sirius growled. He now had lost his patience completely. “How could they have forced you tonight, here at Hogwarts, where no Death Eater could harm you? How could they force you to betray your friend and work as a spy for Voldemort during the war? How could they force you to keep lying to us, even when Voldemort was defeated?”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Peter was sobbing uncontrollably. “The Dark Lord! He has tortured me! Oh! You have no idea!”<br/>
“Oh, I do.”, Remus said suddenly. His eyes were fixated on Peter, his wand pointing directly at the cowering wizard and his voice was trembling with rage. “I have an idea what it’s like to be forced and tortured and to fear for your life every day. When you are tempted and it would be so easy to give in and make it all stop, but Peter, I have never given in, because I knew what I was fighting for and so you should have!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“No! Just a small — just a small mistake! I’m regretting! I regret!”<br/>
“Regret is not going to help you now, Peter.”, Sirius said. The three friends had slowly approach Barty Crouch and Peter, who was squirming on his knees. James stared at him, with wide eyes — he looked deeply disappointed.<br/>
“I have considered to make you my Secret-Keeper, instead of Sirius. I thought it would have been a perfect plan, a bluff! But you would have crawled back to Voldemort and sold my trust within a day. You would have accepted to kill my wife, my son! You would have accepted to kill any of us, you almost did tonight, you wanted to frame Moony for your attack!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“N – no! I’d never — James! Please! I am your friend! I have always been your friend!”<br/>
“You lied to us.”, James echoed. He sounded horrified. “You lied to us, for years. You’re not the man I thought you were. Even if you didn’t have the guts to do it yourself — you’d have condoned to have any of us killed.”<br/>
“Please! I would never — I had no choice! Of what use would it have been —”<br/>
“What use!”, Sirius spit in the snow. “Just innocents lifes could have been saved, Peter!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
All three of them had their wands pointed at Peter by now. From the corner of his eye, Sirius could see that James wand was shaking — Remus’ was completely steady.<br/>
“You should have known”, Remus said between clenched teeth, “that if the Death Eaters would not kill you for your betrayal, Peter, we would.”<br/>
Peter gave a high, pathetic howl and started sobbing uncontrollably. Sirius felt his blood boil in his veins and laughed hysterically: “You have chosen a poor hostage, Crouch. His life if of no worth to us."<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus narrowed his eyes. “Together?”, he asked hoarsely.<br/>
“Yes.”, Sirius growled.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“No.”, James said quietly. Remus gave him a quick glance. “James — he’s a traitor.”, he said adjuratory. Sirius nodded slowly. “He would sell any of us, James. He isn’t worth your mercy.”<br/>
“Please.”, a warm voice said behind them, making Sirius twitch. Lily had stepped next to him, her long red hair fluttering in the snowy wind. “Please, James is right. He’s not worth it.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
She didn’t look at Peter, as if the sight of him would hurt her. “He might be a traitor, but he’s not worth to become a murderer for.” Her green eyes searched Sirius gaze as she put her hand on James’ wrist, gently pushing his wand down. “That is a guilt you’ll never shed again. Please.” She looked at Remus. “Please, don’t do this to yourselves.”<br/>
Remus and Sirius exchanged a look — then they slowly narrowed their wands. James had already dropped his and put an arm around Lily instead.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Cowards!”, Barty Crouch shouted and then pushed Peter away from him. He made a whipping motion with his wand and suddenly, a blindingly bright light flashed up. Sirius instinctively lifted his hand to shied his eyes, dropping his wand hand.<br/>
With a loud swoosh, Coruch made a circling motion with his wand which was oozing black fume, that wrapped around him like a cape. The fume dashed up into the air at lightning speed, taking the wizard with it, disappearing into the snowy air.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Where —“, Remus started, but Peter was gone. Where he had kneeled, the snow was stirred and they could spot the tiny pawprints of a rat, vanishing in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.<br/>
“Fuck!”, Sirius cursed, attempting to follow the pawprints, but Lily put a hand on his shoulder.<br/>
“It’s hopeless, Sirius. You’ll never find a rat in the forest, especially not during this snow.”<br/>
“Then — the Map! He’ll be on there! Accio Map! Ah fuck, I can’t see — Lumos!”<br/>
Sirius bowed eagerly over the map, but it only showed the edge of the Forbidden Forrest, and no spot with the name Peter Pettigrew was to be seen.<br/>
“He’s gone.”, Sirius said disappointedly. He could feel a hand on his elbow and turned his head to look into Remus face. His jaw was clenched. “Peter”, he grinded out.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Peter.”, James echoed, an expression of absolute hurt and disbelieve on his face. Lily gave a gentle sob, and he quickly drew her to his chest and hugged her tightly.<br/>
“Peter.”, she snivelled. “Pete. Wormy. We had tea with him last Saturday. He brought Harry candy.”<br/>
Her husband slowly stroked the back of her head. “Back when we told him we would go into hiding with the Fidelius Charm, he suggested we could make him Secret-Keeper too.”, he said in a throaty voice. “He said he could come over and bring us some food or even watch Harry for a bit. I almost said yes.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius gulped. The rage in his chest had turned into a whole, deep and dark. “We’ve known him since we were eleven.”, he said, his voice trembling.<br/>
Remus gave a huffed noise and Sirius quickly looked up to him. The werewolf was frowning with sorrow, but caught Sirius’ gaze immediately. His lips trembled.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“I —“, Remus lifted his hand to touch the bruise on Sirius’ neck, but let it sink immediately again, “I’m so sorry, Pads, I was imperio’d, I didn’t have my wand and I could not —”, his voice was trembling. “I would never hurt you — any of you. I’m not a traitor, I swear. I know it’ll maybe hard to believe, because I was away for so long, but — Please. I’ll show you, I’d do anything to show you — We can get some Verita Serum, I swear.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Lily stepped away from James, took two quick steps and embraced Remus tightly. He was still shaking, even as her redhead rested against his chest.<br/>
“We know that, Moony.”, she said muffledly.<br/>
“Yes.”, James agreed, stepping next to them and putting a hand on Remus shoulder and looking him in the eyes. “No need for Verita Serum. Peter was a rat — but that doesn’t change that I trust my friends unconditionally. And that you’ve been away for four years, risking your life in the fight we were all fighting — that’s a reason more to trust you, Moony, not a reason less.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius could see Remus’ eyes widening and felt a stab in his chest. Did he really think they would mistrust him now, because Peter had taken advantage over him? Sirius stepped next to him, putting an arm around Remus’ back and looked up to him. “I always trust you.”, he said in a firm voice, returning the gaze from Remus’ brown eyes, “I always have and I always will.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
For a moment, they stood like this, arms wrapped around each other, feeling connected. Then, Lily laughed shakily. “We should go back to the castle. Before more Death Eaters come out of the forest — or Moony freezes to the ground.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
They parted slowly and Sirius noticed that Remus was shivering in his thin suit. “Godric, Moony, why haven’t you cast a warming charm?”, he asked appeasedly and tipped Remus’ sleeve, whispering “Focillo”.<br/>
“I haven’t had my wand, remember?”, Remus answered, when they followed James and Lily towards the castle, who walked arm in arm before them.<br/>
“Oh, yes. You lost it when you dramatically stormed off.”, Sirius said.<br/>
Remus gave him a confused look. “Oh, I almost forgot about that.”<br/>
“Seem kind of insignificant now, doesn’t it?”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Yes.”, Remus agreed, as they walked into the patio. Sirius looked at the portal to the Great Hall and stopped thoughtfully.<br/>
“I don’t really want to go back in there.”<br/>
Remus looked at him and nodded slightly.<br/>
Lily and James, who had waited for them before the portal turned around. “You’re coming?”<br/>
“No.”, Sirius called. “You go, we — need a moment.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
James grinned, but Lily remained a steady face: “Okay. We have to tell Moody and Dumbledore about Pete anyways, so —”<br/>
“Just call for help if he chokes you again, Padfoot.”, James said with a wink. Remus blushed, which made James grin even wider.<br/>
Sirius ignored him dignifiedly and took Remus’ arm. “We’ll see you at Midnight — at the latest.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Have fun!”, James called after them, wiggling his eyebrows. “Ow, Lily, that was my foot!”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
-<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus followed Sirius up the Great Staircase.<br/>
“Where are we going?”, he asked, when Sirius stopped.<br/>
“I dunno — you have an idea?”<br/>
Remus thought about it for a moment. “The library.”, he decided then.<br/>
Sirius rolled his eyes, but followed him with a grin.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
The library was dark and deserted, but the fireplace was glowing and Remus lighted a few candles with his wand. Sirius watched him with a smile, until they sat down in one of the window alcoves Remus had spent days of his school time in, reading happily.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
It turned out that the alcove had the perfect size for one lanky teenage-werewolf, but as two grown men, they had to move together quite a bit. They finally settled, sitting opposite to each other, their legs intertwined. Remus shoulder rested against the glass of the window and he could see Sirius’ reflection on its dark surface.<br/>
For a moment, they remained silent.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Finally, Sirius started. “I’m sorry I shouted at you earlier. When I saw you then, I was just — surprised.”<br/>
Remus tilted his head. His cheeks were still pink from the cold. “It’s okay. I thought about writing to you, I just — didn’t know what to say. I mean”, he corrected himself, “I had a lot of things to say, I just didn’t think I had the right to do so.”<br/>
Sirius gulped. “What did you want to say?”<br/>
Remus avoided his gaze, slowly drawing on the foggy window with his fingertips. “When I thought about coming home — I always thought about coming home to you. And as the years passed, I realized that this was becoming more and more unlikely, so I rather stayed silent.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius leaned his head back against the stone wall. His heart was pounding in his chest. “You should’ve written.”, he said quietly.<br/>
Remus snorted. “Luckily I didn’t. You boyfriends would’ve been anything but pleased.”<br/>
Sirius opened his eyes again. “One. One boyfriend — Gideon. And I’m still not sure if that counts as a relationship. I wanted — I wanted him to be you. And he wasn’t. So I punished him for it.”<br/>
Remus caught his gaze. In the flickering candlelight, his amber eyes looked golden like honey. “I was very jealous tonight.”, he admitted.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius gave him a smug grin. “That was kind of the point.”<br/>
Remus lips curled into a small smile. He lifted his hand and the tips of his fingers casually brushed over Sirius’ knee. “I really don’t like to be jealous.”<br/>
Sirius felt a shiver down his spine. “Then do something about it.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus blinked, thoughtfully lowering his gaze. “What — happened with Gideon? Earlier?”<br/>
Now Sirius was blushing: “Will you believe me if I say he actually tripped and fell on me?”<br/>
Remus looked up again, frowning in disbelief: “Are you —”<br/>
“Yes, I am Sirius.”<br/>
Remus gave him a look. Sirius grinned. “No, really. If I’d have made up an excuse, wouldn’t I tell you a much more believable one?”<br/>
Remus snorted. “I actually don’t know about that.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Sirius reached out and touched the back of Remus’ hand with his fingertips. “Really. It was a misunderstanding. I don’t care about Gideon — or Benjy. Or fucking anyone. It’s only you.”, he gulped. “It’s always only been you.”<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Remus turned his hand around, intertwining their fingers. “I missed you so much, Sirius.”, he said hoarsely.<br/>
That was too much — Sirius could not resist anymore. He leaned forward, closing his eyes when their lips met, putting his arms around Remus’ neck. They kissed gently, carefully, almost disbelievingly. Sirius felt long fingers softly brushing over his cheek and warmth filled his chest, his legs, his arms.<br/>
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
When their lips parted, their foreheads were still touching. Sirius looked back into amber eyes and couldn’t help but smile. “You cannot leave again.”, he informed Remus, gently twisting a brown curl between his fingers.<br/>
“No.”, Remus agreed, returning his smile. “I cannot.”</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>There it is, your eventual fluff. :) Writing this was so much fun, even though there is no concept at all! &lt;3 If you've made it this far, please share your opinion in the comments, I'd love to hear it!</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>
Also let me just say: it's usually a bad idea to get back together with your ex, kids! (Unless your ex is Remus Lupin, in which case, it is obviously a great idea)</p>
</div>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Epilogue (Happy New Year!)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“There you are!”, Lily called, when Remus and Sirius finally entered the patio. They were grinning like fools, she noticed delightedly. Was there a love bite next to the bruise on Sirius’ neck?</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Are we late?”, Remus asked, looking at the giant clock above the portal with scrutiny. Five minutes to Midnight. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“You’ve missed a very boring speech of the Minister about the importance of being united as a society.”, James informed them, rolling his eyes. <br/>
They were standing in a little group with Marlene, Dorcas, Frank and Alice. A few feet away, Gideon and Benjy were fighting fiercely.
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Bugger, that’s what I came for in the first place.”, Sirius said, skilfully avoiding Marlene who was trying to put a glittering party hat on his head. She shrugged, got on her tiptoes and put it on Remus’ head instead. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“We talked to Dumbledore.”, James said. “There will be a meeting of the Order tomorrow morning — ow! What was that for, Marlene?” <br/>
“Couldn’t you have waited with your bad news? I really wanted to sleep in tomorrow!”, Marlene sighed. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Lily grinned. In her back, she could hear Benjy say angrily: “It was five dates, for Godrics sake!”
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Ten!”, the crowd shouted in unison. <br/>
Maybe I should get a ticket for <i>The Hobgoblins, </i> Lily mused, and find out if Stubby Boardman was still single.
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Nine!” <br/>
James stepped closer, putting an arm around her. She smiled up at him, nuzzling her head at his shoulder. It had been a rough night, but no one was harmed. Her husband was well, her friends were well, and tomorrow she would pick up her gorgeous son from her undoubtedly annoyed sister. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Eight!” <br/>
On the other side of the crowded patio, she could see Dumbledore distribute sparkler under the grumpy looking ministerial employees.
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Seven! Six!” <br/>
Lily fumbled for her wand.
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Five!” <br/>
To her right, Sirius took Remus’ hand and the two grinned at each other like idiots.
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Four! Three!” <br/>
Lily lifted her wand and everyone in the patio did the same. Even Benjy and Gideon stopped hissing at each other. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“Two!” <br/>
“I love you.”, James whispered in her ear.
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
“One!” <br/>
With fizzing noises, fifty wands shout out spells, which rose up in the air and exploded into countless jet of colourful sparks. The crowd started cheering and singing and the giant bell began to ring. Lily took a bemused glance at Sirius’ and Remus’ entangled figures, before she turned around herself, winding her arms around James’ neck to kiss him, smiling brightly. 
</p>
<p></p><div><p>
Everything was good.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy 2021! We've made it through this years and we've made it through this rollercoaster of a story! I put in all the plot twists that I could think of, I hope you had as much fun as I did. :) Do tell me what you think! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you're enjoying this mess of a story. Drop a comment if you'd like, it'll make my day. :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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